Okonkwo made the disclosure during an appearance on Symphony TV on Wednesday June 3rd, 2026, where he criticized the federal government’s handling of insecurity and described the situation as a failure of leadership.
According to him, the growing wave of kidnappings and violent attacks across the country is no longer a distant issue but one that is directly affecting ordinary Nigerians and their families.
He recounted that one of his workers, who is the only child of his mother, received news earlier in the week that armed attackers had kidnapped his mother, killed his uncle, and abducted everyone else in the household.
“One of my workers, the only child of his mother, received news this week: his mother was kidnapped, his uncle was killed, and all the people in his household were taken. They are in the forest right now as we speak,” he said.
Using the experience to underscore his criticism of the government, Okonkwo argued that security remains the foremost responsibility of any administration, insisting that failure in that area amounts to failure in governance.
Okonkwo lamented what he described as the growing human cost of insecurity, citing kidnappings, killings, and attacks on communities across different parts of the country.
He argued that many Nigerians are living through personal tragedies as criminal groups continue to operate with increasing boldness.
The former Labour Party figure maintained that criminality, rather than ethnic or religious differences, remains the root cause of the country’s insecurity challenges, urging authorities to focus on tackling the criminal networks responsible for kidnappings, banditry, and terrorism.
His comments come amid renewed concerns over security following a series of abductions and attacks reported in several states, including incidents involving schoolchildren, teachers, and community residents.
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